The next morning, Anastasia woke up early. She was given a schedule for her classes. "You don't want to be late. That wouldn't be good for a first impression" Hannah said as she helped Anastasia get ready.
"Why this early tho?" Anastasia asked. "Early bird gets the worm" Hannah said. Anastasia walked inside a room, she found two ladies sitting down and an elderly woman with thick glasses sat in front of them.
"Good morning" Anastasia said with a sweet smile. The woman gestured for Anastasia to have a seat. She quietly sat down, she began to admire the room.
Few hours later everyone joined the class. Anastasia was stunned to see a lot of people in the room, they were ladies from higher power. The older woman cleared her throat, she adjusted her glasses to her eyes.
"It's quite disappointing that not all of you understand to concept of time. If you are willing to sit on the throne then you must understand that the emperor can not be kept waiting" The woman said.
The ladies had embarrassment written on their faces. "Unfortunately not all of you have bad habits. The first three ladies who actually kept to the time shall be given points" She said.
Anastasia could only smile. "Alright, we all know why we are here....." The woman was shortly interrupted by a hand. "Yes?" She asked in disgust. "With all due respect ma'am, you haven't told us your names yet" A lady said.
"My name is Mrs Harper and I will be your tutor for the season. I am aware that there are about a hundred and twenty of you and somehow I need to transform all of you to graceful ladies. I'll have to lay down some ground rules." Mrs Harper paused as she examines everyone present before her.
"Number one, each of you would be given days and time to see or speak with the emperor, you shall not approach the emperor if he don't have an appointment with you. You shall be taught lessons and at the end off the week you shall be tested to see if you paid attention. There shall be elimination held on Sunday, if you aren't found fit, you'll have to return back to your respective home. You will observe curfew" Mrs Harper said.
Another woman walks into the room. "Good morning ladies, my name is miss sunshine and I'll be teaching you etiquette" Miss Sunshine hands some folders to Mrs Harper.
"Oh, there are more rules. No cheating, no fighting, no stealing, no yelling. Apparently the emperor loves his castle peaceful and silent. Last and certainly not the least you aren't allowed to leave the castle" Mrs Harper said.
"Alright before we begin I would like to inform you that, you all would be graded every day by your tutor earning you points that would determine if you stay or go during elimination day" Sunshine said.
"For the next one hundred and five days let's try to get along" Mrs Harper said. "Very well then we shall start by checking your powers, this is to help us see how powerful or what power you posses" Sunshine said with a smile.
"Shall we begin.... I would like to start this in a more humane way. According to who arrived to class this morning" Mrs Harper said.
The first girl walked out to the wheel, she placed her hands on it and it glowed this beautiful amber color. "Thunder" a voice from the wheel said. Everyone clapped. The second girl did the same thing, the wheel glowed with a bright purple light. "Healer" the voice said again.
"Next" Miss Sunshine called. Anastasia stood up, praying that she doesn't screw things up. She placed her hands on the wheel, it rolled for a long time. It even shone different colors, it was as if the wheel couldn't decide or rather couldn't calculate Anastasia's power.
It stopped. "What are you? Who are you?" The voice from the wheel asked. The teachers were surprised. "Is... Is this normal?" Anastasia asked as the words refused to come out.
"It has never happened before" Mrs Harper said. "I don't understand how is this possible? It can't identify what powers you posses" Sunshine said
"Is that a bad thing?" Anastasia asked. Mrs Harper looked at Miss Sunshine, it was as if they were communicating in a way only they could understand. "What's your name?" Mrs Harper asked. "My name is Guinevere whitestone, daughter of count Demetrius whitestone" Anastasia replied as she slowly curtsey.
"Come with me Guinevere" Sunshine said. Anastasia didn't ask questions, she just followed her like an obedient puppy. Anastasia was led to a door.
"When you get there greet him with respect and tell him I sent you and that the wheel couldn't tell what powers you posses" Sunshine said. "But..." Anastasia couldn't finish her sentence, she was shoved into the room.
Inside the room sat a handsome man on a throne, with his features she could tell he was the emperor. He placed his head lazily on his wrist sleeping, for a moment she forgot how to speak.
After what felt like years of trying to regain her composure, she finally spoke. "Um... Excuse me, your grace. I was brought her by miss sunshine, she asked me to seek your presence or rather guidance on something" She said but there was no response from the guy.
He slept like he didn't have a care in the world. Anastasia took few steps forward so she could touch him but she paused. "What the hell am I doing? There's no need to know what my powers are right? I mean what's the point if I don't intend to win?" She whispers to herself.
She turns to leave but the door opened with a bang causing Azriel to open his eyes. Charles paused when he saw a girl standing in front of his brother. Anastasia felt trapped, she didn't know what to do but she prayed for the ground to open up and swallow her.
"What are you doing here? Are you here to kill my brother?" Charles placed his sword on her neck. Normally she ought to be scared right now but she just tilted her head. "What kind of an assassin would want to murder someone in broad daylight?" Anastasia asked.
Charles blinked in surprise. Anastasia used her index finger to push the sword away. "I am here because during my class today, the teachers wanted to know what power we all posses. Some ladies touched the spinny thing and it showed their powers but it never showed mine. It just twirled and glowed, when it stopped it just asked me what am I and who am I. I suspected a malfunction but miss sunshine dragged me here, giving me vivid information to tell the emperor about the situation. I came here just to meet his grace fast asleep and you misunderstanding the situation. The End" Anastasia said.
Azriel just watched them. "I see" Charles muttered. "Pick up that book over there" Azriel calmly spoke. Anastasia just picked up the book but nothing happened. "Place it back" Azriel commanded. Anastasia found it weird but did so anyway.
"Tell sunshine that you don't have any magical powers and she could prescribe potions for you" Azriel said. "Thank you, your grace" Anastasia said. She walked pass Charles but he grabbed her hand. "Could you also tell sunshine that I would love to have my potion right away" Charles said.
Anastasia paused, she felt something weird about his touch. Charles wondered why she wasn't moving, Anastasia stared at him directly in the eyes with her head slightly tilted. "Luke...." She said in a whispered. "What?" He asked almost too audible.
"Luke, tonight he would do something stupid, he would use his powers to lock you away, to push you away but you must find your way back to him" Anastasia said. "What would he do that I have to find my way back to him?" Charles asked.
There was a long pause "..... He..... He would kill himself tonight with his own powers. The same powers that he swore he'll use to help people in need. Charles you must stop him, if you don't you will be miserable for the rest of your life" Anastasia said. Charles was pale as a ghost.
"What do you mean? What time would this happen?" Charles asked shaking her forcefully. Anastasia blinked twice. "Your highness what are you doing?" She asked innocently.
"When would this happen?" Charles asked. "When will what happen? Are you alright your highness?" She asked again. Charles lets go of her shoulder.
"If that would be all then I beg to take my leave your grace" Anastasia said to Azriel. He raised his hand gesturing her to leave.
Charles was shaken by the news. "Come now Charles, you look like you've seen a ghost. Have a seat" Azriel said. "What if she's not wrong?" He asked.
"Relax, she doesn't have any magical powers. The book didn't glow" Azriel said calmly. "It might be a glitch. What if she is right?" Charles asked. "I will deposit a million gold coins into your account and hers" Azriel said trying to change the topic.